Softball Wins One of Two In the UNCG Invitational

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GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG softball (9-3) won one of two games in the second day of the UNCG Invitational on Saturday at UNCG Softball Stadium, beating Virginia (6-7) 8-0 (five innings) and losing to Seton Hall (6-6) 2-1. Stephanie Bryden (Orlando, Fla./East River) threw a no-hitter in the run-rule victory over the Cavaliers.

Bryden walked three batters and had five strikeouts in her first collegiate no-hitter. She retired the side in all but the second inning. Virginia drew two walks to start the inning. She registered consecutive strikeouts, loaded the bases with another walk and ended the scoring threat with a third strikeout.

UNCG opened the game with a run. Alexis Overdiep (Apex, N.C./Apex) reached on a throwing error by the third baseman, advanced to third base on the play and scored on a wild pitch.

The Spartans grew the lead in the third inning with four runs. Makenna Matthijs (Greenville, N.C./D.H. Conley) led off with a walk and went to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Gabi Cubbage (Felton, Del./Lake Forest). Marisa Sholtes (Albany, N.Y./South Colonie Central) singled through the left side, and Jasmine Palmer (Cander, N.C./ Florida State) then singled to right field to knock in Matthijs. Rachael McClaskey (Pine Hill, N.J./Overbrook) got an infield single to the pitcher to load up the bases. After a pitching change Bryden doubled to left field to score Palmer and Sholtes. Jordan Gontram (Wake Forest, N.C./Heritage) produced the final run on a sacrifice fly to left field that scored McClaskey.

The scoring for UNCG continued in the following inning. Emily Acquaviva (New Hartford, N.Y./New Hartford) was hit by a pitch and went to second on a wild pitch. Cubbage then drew a walk on a full count with one out. Sholtes and Palmer were hit by pitches in consecutive at-bats that allowed Acquaviva to jog home. McClaskey drilled a hard grounder up the middle that went off the pitcher’s glove to knock in Cubbage.

The Spartans got the eighth run in the fifth inning to end the game. Bryden and Gontram both drew walks, and the bases became loaded when Acquaviva was hit by a pitch again. Pinch-hitter Rachel McKinney (Suwanee, Ga./North Gwinnett) then launched a RBI-hit over the right fielder.

UNCG had six hits, seven RBIs, five walks and five hit by pitches in the game McClaskey was the only Spartan with two hits, and Palmer and Bryden both had two RBIs to lead the Spartans.

In the first game of the day for UNCG, Seton Hall got the game-winning run in the seventh inning. The Pirates used two wild pitches in the same at-bat to score the run.

Seton Hall had the initial 1-0 lead on a leadoff home run to left center in the fourth inning.

UNCG quickly tied it up in the same inning. Palmer led off with a double down the left field line and advanced to third base on a groundout by McClaskey. A sacrifice bunt by Gontram allowed Palmer to race home for the run.

The Spartans had just four hits and a hit by pitch in the game. In the sixth inning they had runners on second and third base with one out but left both on base with a pop out and strikeout.

Hannah Stiltner (Mebane, N.C./ Eastern Alamance) recorded all but one out in the circle and gave up two hits, two runs and four walks with five strikeouts. Bryden came in relief and recorded the last out.

UNCG will close out the home invitational with two games, beginning with Virginia at 11:30 am and Appalachian State afterwards.